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Helfer coughed. "Actually, I'm more interested in why you managed to see him, but let him get away."

"Who said it was me?" Dereath snapped.

Helfer hadn't meant it that way; he'd meant "you" as in the whole general security establishment. But now he was convinced that it had been Dereath himself who'd been stationed, waiting to catch the thief. "Who else would have set such a cunning trap?" he said, leaching as much sarcasm from his voice as he could.

The rat glared at him. "I cannot think of anyone less qualified than you to criticize the security workings of this palace."

Helfer shrugged. "You set a trap, but you let whoever it was get away? I don't know how much I need to know to criticize that." He could see Vin out of the corner of his eye, cringing in his chair, so he just kept talking, saying whatever came into his head. "I mean, isn't the whole idea of a trap to catch the target?"

Dereath's claws scored the desk. Helfer could see the rat's whiskers twitching, one fang showing as his lips curled. The rat turned abruptly to Vin. "I believe you were going to say something before we were interrupted?"

"Let him be," Helfer said. "I just invited him in for a nice meal and maybe some fun later on. You can understand that, right?"

Vin was sitting up, now, though. "It's okay, Hef," he said. "I was just gonna say, you think it mighta been some other fox you know?"

"That's not what you said," Dereath snapped.

"Oh, innit?" Vin scratched the side of his muzzle. "Coulda sworn..."

Dereath sat back in his chair. "I may not have a lot of leeway with your royal john here," he said coldly, "but it would not take much to throw you in prison. And I tend to forget people I've thrown in prison."

"He hasn't done anything," Helfer said. "You can't throw him in prison because I brought him here."

"He's withholding information."

"You don't have any proof of that."

Dereath smiled thinly. His whiskers had settled, his fang hidden again. "I don't need much proof. I have what I heard. And my word carries considerably more weight than yours around the palace."

Vin glanced sideways at Helfer, who gave him a quick nod. "There's no point trying to scare him," Helfer said. "I told you, and he told you, he doesn't know anything."

"So there is something to know," Dereath said. "Why don't you enlighten me, then? You know how difficult I can make life for you around the palace. I'd personally enjoy seeing your movements outside the palace restricted, for example, or Ullik taking a more, shall we say, detailed interest in the Vellenland finances."

Helfer sighed. This, he reminded himself, is why he avoided politics. "You don't have any proof that either of us know anything," he said. "And we don't. I waited here this morning for you to talk to me, you weren't here, I got bored. It happens to weasels. I went into town, ran into Vin, he propositioned me, I accepted. But he doesn't live in the best of accommodations, so we came back here. End of story."

Dereath shook his head. "You've been acting strange all day," he said. "In the--"

They were interrupted by a rabbit, opening the door and sticking his head through. Helfer expected Dereath to snap, knowing how the rat hated distractions, but instead, he half-rose eagerly, his ears coming up. The rabbit just said, "Found 'em," or maybe it was "found 'im."

The rat sprang to his feet and waved at Helfer and Vin. "You two can go. Just stay in the palace in case we need to talk to you." He dashed out of the room before either of the startled weasels could say anything.

They exchanged looks. Vin said, "Wot should we do?"

"In my experience," Helfer said, getting up, "when he says you can go, you should go while you can."

He hurried Vin through the corridors. "Who you think they found?" Vin asked.

"Dunno," Helfer said. "Don't care." He hadn't thought about it at all until Vin had asked, but now he thought there could be only two people the rabbit could have meant: Volle or Dewry.

"Don't think it were," Vin looked around to make sure the corridors were empty before whispering, "Dewry?"

"Shh," Helfer said. "No, I don't."

"Me neither." Vin scurried alongside Helfer. "So that rat, he's like some kinda Stark in the palace?"

"Something like," Helfer said. "You seemed to handle him okay after a couple minutes."

"Jus' watched you," Vin said. He grinned. "I saw he weren't gonna do nothin' to you. Hope I din' make nothin' worse for ya."

"No," Helfer said. "Me and Dereath go back a ways. He's never liked me."

Vin raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me 'e was sniffin' up for ya."

Helfer grimaced. "That was kinda the start of it."

"Ouch." Vin shook his head. "Thought you was more smooth than that."

"It was a long time ago." Helfer shook his head, banishing the memory.

"Never knew a rat didn't carry a grudge," Vin said. "This one chap, you never knew him, name o' Chintzley, well, we 'ad a little disagreement six years ago 'bout the value of a pair o' breeches what I got from that tailor I took ya to, an' ya know, just last week 'e tries to short me on a box o' yellowfruit."

"Right," Helfer said, still thinking about Volle. He directed his attention back to Vin when he saw the other weasel eyeing a decorative silver chalice. "Hey. Paws down."

"Sorry." Vin grinned. "Force o' habit."

"Let's focus on some of your more appealing habits," Helfer said, pushing the door to his chambers open. "Caresh!"

The fox was already at the inner door, opening it and bowing. "Yes, sir. The kitchens have finished serving lunch, but I can procure something for you and your guest should you wish."

Vin stopped to stare at the fox. "Ooh, that sounds lovely," he said.

Helfer waved Vin inside. "Go. I'll get some food for us. Caresh, a word please?"

"Of course, sir." He shut the door behind Vin and said, discreetly, "Would you like me to inventory your possessions, sir? I seem to recall some trouble with Mister Vinstrier on his previous visit."

"No. I mean, yes, but that's not what I wanted to ask. When you go to get food, could you ask about Lord Vinton? I know he's been scarce today and Dereath was looking for him. I think he might've found him."

Caresh nodded. "Of course, sir. If it is of interest to you, I did discover that Mister Talison is interested in the theft of some documents from the Agricultural Committee detailing expected shipments of honey, grain, wine, and mead from the southwest. The suspect is a fox." He coughed discreetly. "Your disappearance was viewed suspiciously. However, given the patterns of behavior you have established, the suspicion was not strong."

Helfer sighed. "Thank you, Caresh. That'll be all."

"Yes, sir."

Caresh left by the front door. Helfer watched it swing closed, not really sure what he was waiting for--his friend Volle to knock, perhaps, or Dereath to come back, or maybe even Stark, having worked his way into the palace to demand Helfer's silence about what he'd seen and heard. But the door remained closed. Helfer usually had no trouble letting go of political things, but that was usually because he shielded himself from details. He didn't really care what Stark and Dewry wanted with the information about the shipments--he could guess fairly easily, having seen the storehouse. But there was something about the day's events that nagged at him still, some piece unresolved. Problem was, he couldn't even think what it might be. Helfer sighed. He was, it seemed, free from Dereath. And Volle could take care of himself--the fox had proven that amply in the past. And, it occurred to him, Vin was alone in his chambers. He put the nagging thoughts from his mind and went inside.

He saw the tunic and trousers lying on the floor by the door to the next room. Taking another step, he saw into the sitting room, where Vin lay sprawled on a pile of pillows. The naked weasel grinned when he saw Helfer and trailed a paw over his sheath. "Wot a relief to get outta them clothes," he said. "Join me?"

Helfer grinned back. "I just got my pants back," he said, but here, in his own chambers, the idea of a nice, relaxing romp with Vin was more and more appealing. Certainly Caresh had walked in on stranger scenes and could be counted on for discretion.

"So why wear 'em out? Come on, we got a few minutes before your fox comes back wit' food, eh?"

"You think you can finish that fast?" Helfer was already unfastening his pants.

Vin was already half-erect. He curled his paw around himself and stroked more firmly. "And you too," he grinned. "We can eat an' pick up again after."

Helfer's pants dropped to the floor. He unlaced his tunic and walked over to Vin, pushing the other's paw aside and taking the warm shaft into his own fingers. Holding it, he let himself relax, feeling the stresses of the day slip away from him. He shifted his hips as Vin sat up, nosing at Helfer's sheath and licking under his sac, and it wasn't long before the weasel's warm breath and insistent tongue had relaxed him even more.

Of course, it was at that point that the door creaked open. Both of them paused, Vin whispering, "Faster'n I would've thought."

"Just set it down in there, Caresh," Helfer called. Odd, he couldn't smell any food.

A very familiar voice called back. A moment before he heard it, Helfer realized that the fox he was smelling was not Caresh, either. "If you're busy, I can come back later."

Grabbing his tunic from the floor and holding it to his hips, Helfer leapt to the doorway. Standing just in front of his closed inside door, wearing a yellow doublet, peach-colored trousers, and a very foxy smile, was the unmistakable figure of Volle.